Harry Potter Villain That Scared Stephen King Himself (Not Voldemort, Of Course)
Stephen King is known as the king of horror. If he's scared, then J.K. Rowling certainly did a good job of portraying this villain.
Stephen King, the author of such horror classics as The Shining, Pet Sematary, and Carrie, believes that one particular villain in Harry Potter is the most compelling fictional villain since Hannibal Lecter. And if you think he's talking about Lord Voldemort, think again.
No, according to King, Lecter's competition is none other than Professor Dolores Umbridge — easily Hogwarts' most hated teacher, who loved three things most: cats, wearing ugly pink clothes, and occasionally torturing children.
"The gently smiling Dolores Umbridge, with her girlish voice, toadlike face, and clutching, stubby fingers, is the greatest make-believe villain to come along since Hannibal Lecter," King wrote back in 2009 in his review for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the Entertainment Weekly magazine.
King compared Umbridge to "the really scary teacher" that everyone remembers from their school days — except, of course, for the fact that Umbridge could make you write something with a pen that would leave permanent scars on your hands.
As portrayed by Imelda Staunton in the films, Umbridge has become a character even more hated than Voldemort or any other villain in history. Staunton herself had no kind words for her character, describing her as "a bloody monster" and saying that she portrayed her as such.
Umbridge remains the character that the entire fandom simply loves to hate, and yes, even the King of Horror himself agrees.